I do get some spots with blood but usually there is some yellowish pus in a core... then they stay open for a while and no matter how much I clean them they just don't stop smelling. I hate dealing with it. That's why I joined this site.

I wrote about this on another post not too long ago, you should look through a few of the other posts because others have commented as well.

I definitely have significant bleeding sometimes.

I have had that happen. I had 4 open wounds under my arm for over 2 years that constantly drain and bled. Eventually caused me to become anemic. So keep an eye on yourself if it continues. If you start feeling really tired all the time, might want to get your blood count checked.

Hi..this was posted by Jamie but if you don't want to look it up hopefully I can help. Most of mine start by yellow puss then go to mostly blood. Some are just blood. It seems my smaller ones puss first (i know so gross lol) and my large ones usually seem like they are just bleeding, As far as color my "abscessess" range in color from red to purple to black and my afflicted areas expecially the underarms turn bright red and flaming hot at times.What a great club to be in :).! Tho....Always know you will have supportive friends here. Wishing you a pain free day!!!

I just found this site too. I've have had this since I was around 15 years old and have lots of scars around bikini area. My dermatologist told me what it was just 5 years ago. I never thought to ask because my mom also had it and she didn't seem to be suffering ill effects or dying from it. My dermatologist wrote it on a piece of paper and I forgot what it was called. Lost that piece of paper. I have been looking for that piece of paper all day and was going to google it to see if there was any new help. Finally I guessed it in google and found this website. Just wanted to say that mine also gets blood in it if I bruise it. It will also have pus. I hate it.

Thank you, everyone, for your replies! I was having trouble signing in to this site until I switched to Google Chrome. Now I can participate! Bought THE HIDDEN PLAGUE. Diet changes are hard but smelly lumps is the worst!

Mine are often times yellowish pus but do bleed initially.

Usually mine has a large amount of blood mixed in with the pus. But I do have one right now that has been draining nothing but blood for the last couple of days.

Thanks again everyone. The descriptions are gross but helpful!
Jam123 - it sounds like we are in the same boat.
tbstewa - the smell makes me CRAZY!

I switched to gluten-free bread and crackers and pasta, but so far nothing has changed. I think my migraines are better, though!

Gluten intolerance (which is not to be confused with Celiac Disease) may be an issue, but personally I think it is just as important, if not MORE important to lower your intake of carbohydrates substantially which is difficult, if you continue to eat glutenfree pasta and bread and such. To my knowledge those products, although being glutenfree, are very often high in carbs.

How do carbs relate to HS? Carbs lead to insuline spikes. Insuline spikes lead to insuline resistance and insuline resistance leads, if untreated, ultimately to Diabetes Type 2.

High insuline levels increase the production of inflammatory messengers of the immune system.

I think in HS autoimmune inflammation is at heart of the condition. Not bacteria. They only aggravate the situation. They are not the primary cause.

Also: bacteria love sugar.

I had just posted something similar. Yes, I do have them that bleed horribly. The one I just had biopsied was full of only blood and the places look like bruises. At first I was scared I had inflammatory breast cancer which would have been horrible, but having this is certainly no fun. Everything I have read makes HS out to be horrible, disfiguring and depressing. Have you had a second opinion yet? I am beginning my diet Monday. No carbs ( bread, sugar, corn, peas etc..) just pretty much eating like a caveman. Not going to be easy, but I certainly want to decrease the places on my breasts and I do not want it to spread.

You may want to try low carb for a month and see what happens. You may feel a little funny in the first week, but this will disappear, if you're otherwise healthy, I don't see how it could hurt. The worst case is that you lose body fat and it doesn't help with HS! IYou may also want to check out the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol. In my case cutting out nightshades seems wise. I will test nightshades in a couple of weeks again and see what happens. I got the idea from Tara Grant's book "the hidden plague". Of course regular physicians will tell you it's mumbo jumbo. I didn't buy the book because I find Tara Grant annoying, but she may be on to something.
My experience has been: after 4 weeks of rigorous low carb the bumps in my groin had disappeared. In the past 2-3 weeks there has been no activity in that area. You can still see the blue scars.HS in my groin was very active last winter.
I do however still get much smaller sized "pimples" on my butt and red spots that look like misquito bites. So far they did not get much larger and then disappeared.
Please note: I am not a doctor. I don't assume responsibility for other people's actions.